Back scrubbing bath accessory



April 16, 1963 5, sw so JR 3,085,276

BACK SCRUBBING BATH ACCESSORY Filed June 15, 1962 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Ase-R7- J J #1/4/1/50/14 Je.

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April 16, 1963 3,085,276

A. S. SWANSON, JR

BACK SCRUBBING BATH ACCESSORY Filed June 15, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

A ma/er 5. SWAA/SOM JR.

United States Patent 3,085,276 BACK SCRUBBING BATH ACCESz'iORY Albert Swanson, .lr., Box 426, Windsor, Colo. Filed June 15, 1962, Ser. No. 202,844 1 Claim- (Cl. 15-244) It is difficult for a person when taking a bath or a shower to properly scrub and cleanse his back since the entire back cannot be reached with the hands without extreme contortions beyond the capabilities of the average person.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a highly efficient, economical and easily used back-scrubbing device which will enable the bather to quickly and easily soap, scrub and rinse his entire back with little effort on the part of the bather.

Other objects of and advantages in the improved back scrubber will become more apparent from the following description of the scrubber and the manner in which it is used.

In the following detailed description of the invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part thereof. Like numerals refer to like parts 7 in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing: FIG. 1 is a side view of the improved back scrubber for bathers;

FIG. 2 is an end view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3, FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views showing various ways in which the scrubber may be used by a bather.

The improved back scrubber is a comparatively simple yet exceedingly useful bath room accessory. It consists of a relatively stifi yet flexible backing strip formed from an elongated strip of preferably transparent plastic such as lumarith or the like. The strip, although capable of being flexed, will always resume its predesigned shape. In actual use, the backing strip has a width of '2" and a thickness of A" and is thermally preformed to provide a relatively straight fiat handle portion 11 at its forward extremity and a relatively flat rear portion 12 at its rear scrubber extremity. The handle portion 11 and the rear scrubber portion 12 are joined by an intermediate arcuate portion 13.

The handle portion 11 is formed with finger notches 14 in its two opposite edges to form a hand grip and with a hanging hole 15 adjacent its free extremity.

An elongated sponge 16 formed from plastic foam or similar absorbent, porous compressible material is cemented below the arcuate portion 13 and the scrubbing portion 12 throughout their entire length. The sponge projects beyond the side edges and beyond the extremity 3,085,276 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 ice of the backing strip to prevent accidental contact with the latter.

The backing strip is preferably perforated as indicated at 17. This serves two purposes, first it reduces the weight and increases the flexibility of the backing strip and second it allows cement to be introduced in the perforations to increase the adherence of the sponge In use, the device is soaped and is alternately hung over the shoulders as indicated in FIG. 4 and the handle portion is swung back and forth to scrub the upper portion of the back. The sponge provides a shoulder pad while the device is being worked over the upper portion of the back of the user.

To reach the lower portion of the back, the device is alternately positioned around the two sides of the body as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The handle portion is then tilted upwardly and downwardly to cause the scrubbing portion to exert a vertical scrubbing action on the users back.

It will be noted from the drawing that the straight scrubbing portion 12 is positioned at an acute angle to the handle portion 11 so that, when the handle portion is swung forwardly away from the body, the scrubbing portion will be swung forwardly against the back of the body.

While a specific form of the invention has been described and illustrated herein, it is to be understood that the same may be varied within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A back scrubbing accessory for bathers comprising: an elongated resilient backing strip permanently curved in an inverted U-shape so that when placed over the shoulder of a user it will depend downwardly in the front of, and in the back of, the users body; an elongated sponge secured to the under side of the strip at least on and extending longitudinally of the rear portion of said backing strip to contact the users body; a hand grip portion formed on the lower forward extremity of said backing strip to be grasped in the users hand; finger notches formed in said hand grip to prevent slippage of the fingers thereon; and a relatively straight scrubbing portion formed on the lower rear extremity of said strip and positioned at an acute angle to said hand grip so that it will rest against the back of a user when the hand grip is swung forwardly from the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 52,833 Eagle Feb. 27, 1866 1,612,346 Amussen Dec. 28, 1926 2,021,158 Stearns Nov. 19, 1935 2,154,831 Booharin Apr. 19, 1939 3,008, 64 Atkins Nov. 14, 1961 

